News of: Friday, 23rd of September, 2011

Front Page

A parliamentary body yesterday rejected the draft national broadcasting policy and asked the information ministry to modify it in conformity with the Right to Information Act and freedom of the media guaranteed by the constitution.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party did all of us something of a favour on Thursday. It moved away, ever so slightly, from its 12-hour hartal and permitted the shutdown to come to an end after eleven hours. Now, that is not quite part of the tradition of political agitation in Bangladesh.

Ahead of the December 2008 parliamentary polls, Khaleda Zia promised acting responsibly no matter what the result was, while her archrival Sheikh Hasina, confident of winning a majority, said she would involve the opposition in the political process.

Ahead of the December 2008 polls, a move was on to empower the opposition in the House by giving them some vital positions, including the deputy speaker's and chairs of some parliamentary committees, according to a number of leaked diplomatic dispatches.

Increasing high tides of rivers in Patuakhali wreak havoc on the entire region inundating every year the ferry network facilities and cutting off the district's communications with the rest of the country.

Editorial

The dropout rate in primary education, we have just been informed by the minister for primary and mass education, stands at 21 per cent. There are those who will not be unduly alarmed by the figures, considering that enrolment over these past many months has been nearly 100 per cent in the nation's primary schools. It would be quite in the fitness of things to expect a segment of pupils to drop out, for schools not to be able to hold on to them. That is how one could look at conditions philosophically.

Sports

Former national captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza reserved perhaps the biggest compliment for Mushfiqur Rahim. In an article published in the leading Bangla daily Prothom Alo yesterday, Mashrafe termed the new Bangladesh captain as honest, sincere and a very good team man. And if he can add his own performance on the field, the little wicketkeeper-batsman with all these facets certainly has a bright prospect ahead.

The Bangladesh Football Federation is seemingly struggling to roll out the second-tier competition of the Bangladesh League onto the field in time as no clubs have yet to confirm their participations until yesterday, with just one day left to meet the deadline.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who overcame an impaired eye to become a visionary and pioneering captain of the Indian Test team, has died in Dehli at the age of 70. He was suffering from interstitial lung disease. He is survived by his wife Sharmila Tagore, his son Saif Ali Khan and his two daughters Soha and Saba Ali Khan. Tagore, Saif and Soha are prominent actors in India's film industry.

Owen Hargreaves made a dream debut for Manchester City as the injury-plagued midfielder scored the opening goal in his side's 2-0 victory over holders Birmingham in the League Cup third round on Wednesday.

The end of a long and successful season is drawing nigh for England, with India's cricketers having finally made it home, hotly pursued by Leicestershire and Somerset, county cricket's representatives at the Champions League. In barely a fortnight, the England team will also be in India, preparing for their return series of five ODIs, but right at this moment, they are down at The Oval, dodging autumnal showers and preparing for a pair of Twenty20 fixtures that serve only as a reminder of previous administrative folly.

It might have been rejected by the ICC but Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion to revamp the ODIs by splitting the format into four innings of 25 overs each has got the backing of his Test teammate Rahul Dravid.

A delegation of International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICCB) left the capital for Hong Kong yesterday to attend the two-day ICC-G20 Regional Consultation for Asia and the Pacific that will end today.

Metropolitan

Speakers at a cycle procession yesterday urged authorities concerned to take necessary steps so that car owners keep their cars at home once a week to reduce environment pollution, traffic congestion and dependency on fossil fuels.

No power in the world could prevent trials of individuals detained in jail on charges of crimes against humanity during Bangaladesh's Liberation War in 1971, said ruling Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam yesterday.

After reading newspaper reports of Shimul Nahar Shimul's suicide, the education minister yesterday talked to the deputy commissioner and police super of Habiganj over phone and directed them to arrest her stalker.

The compensation cheques for the land subsidence affected people of Barapukuria Coal Mine area were distributed among the affected people at the Barapukuria Coal Mine Company office in the district yesterday.

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), has been appointed the group director for Institutional Development of the Berlin-based anti-corruption civil organisation, Transparency International, says a press release.

The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) and US humanitarian organisation AmeriCares will jointly launch a Global Cholera Preparedness programme to prevent thousands of deaths over the next two years worldwide.

National

Movement of heavily loaded vehicles makes the country's largest irrigation project Teesta Barrage across the Teesta River at Dowani in Hatibandha upazila vulnerable as the weighbridge beside the barrage toll room has remained inoperative for the last eight months.

A house owner was clubbed to death by robbers at Kankhardi village in Boalmari upazila early yesterday. Ali Ahmed, officer in-charge (OC) of Boalmari PS, said a gang secretly entered into the house of Montu Mia, 55, before the members of the house went to bed on Wednesday night. At around midnight, the gang came out from hideout and swooped on the house members. When obstructed, the robbers hit Montu Mia with a stick, leaving him critically injured at about 1:00am. Later, the robbers looted Tk one lakh in cash and three tolas of gold ornament from the house and decamped. Injured Montu Mia was taken to Faridpur Medical College and Hospital where he died sometime later.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) has sued 150 men of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) here on Wednesday after a clash between the activists of BCL and JCD that left 12 injured in the town. According to the case, vice-president of district BNP Probin Chandra Chakma, its organising secretary Mostafizur Rahman Millat, president of Khagrachhari JCD unit Kamal Hossaion and its secretary Ibrahim Khalil led a preplanned attack on BCL. In the case, 30 people were identified while the others remained unnamed.

A Rab-8 team from Patuakhali camp arrested two fake Rab members when they were collecting toll from a youth in Amtali upazila town under Barguna on Wednesday evening. The arrestees were identified as Sujon Chandra Shil, 21 of Kawyabunia village and Md Tareq, 23, of Amtali upazila town in Barguna district. Rab-8 sources said, the arrestees demanded toll from one Shahidul Islam in front of Rural Electrification Office identifying themselves as Rab members.

Letters

A man getting out of his car and slapping a rickshaw-driver right and left only because the three-wheeler touched his car's bumper is a very common scene in Bangladesh. Dhaka is known as the city of rickshaws. Even so, rickshaws are neglected everywhere in Bangladesh. Traffic police hit the rickshaws when they are parked in wrong places but when it comes to a car, they say nothing or if at all, they say something very politely to the driver. Now, it is a matter of great regret that rickshaws are banned on the 'major' streets. Some people even think that rickshaws should be banned from our country! It is said that nearly 80% of the labourers are rickshawallahs. Where will they go with their families? Just look at the poor and hungry faces in the streets! I urge the wealthy people and their drivers- please kind to the rickshaw-drivers when he accidentally hits your car's bumper.

The international friendly match between Argentina and Nigeria, which took place at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on 6th September overwhelmed the football lovers of Bangladesh. Undoubtedly, it was a historic match.

Monitoring the prices of daily commodities such as the vegetables are short-term solutions. What is needed is improving transportation and having better state-of-the-art storage facilities and buffering. As the vegetables that are affected are those that are easy to grow, another novel solution is to encourage the concept of kitchen gardens in the households. Let us not forget what rainwater harvesting did. Kitchen gardens will also ensure pesticide-free, fresh vegetables at affordable prices. In times of crisis, innovation is the key.

The government, as we all know, has taken some prudent steps to improve the power situation. Ironically, nowadays it seems all those efforts are just gimmicks to misguide the citizens into believing that the situation is getting better. The scorching heat, with the added predicament of massive power failures, has rendered the lives of the people unbearable. People are trying to fathom what all those apparently substantial steps are providing us with. All our efforts to understand the enigma end in futility. We all expected a better power situation through all those efforts. But now it seems that no efforts were made whatsoever. They were just machinations to garner Forex.

In 2008 election, I voted for AL-led grand alliance. I shall again vote for them in 2014 election, be it under caretaker or interim government. The present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is working hard to change the fate of the common people. Our export has increased, agricultural production has also increased. Development in education and social sectors are recognisable. But many of the cabinet colleagues of the premier are not performing well. As a concerned citizen, I strongly feel that a cabinet reshuffle is overdue. The finance minister, perhaps due to age constraints, should not be burdened with such a big ministry. Law ministry's performance is not up to the mark. The communications minister with his innocent smile has already become a burden to the government. Home and commerce ministries also need overhauling. The lone representative of Jatiyo Party may be given a more important job as he has a little to perform in that ministry. And shipping minister should mind his own business.

Students who have just passed the HSC Exams are now passing through very critical days of their life as far as their getting admitted to any institution of higher education is concerned. They will now sit for admission tests. The government universities and medical colleges allow a very large number of students to sit for admission tests. On the other hand, varsities like BUET, CUET, KUET, RUET screen off quite a large number of students by short-listing. Since they take high standard admission tests, if a student can do well in those tests, that would prove his/her eligibility for studying in a particular institution. The students who could not do well in the HSC exams for various reasons, can do well in the admission test. So I earnestly appeal to the authorities concerned to give a second thought to their existing screening tests.

I am extremely disturbed by the undesirable debates and objections raised by the air force chief at this stage, which can delay the most important project for our capital. The route was approved by the cabinet on 8th March. This kind of "objection" by many agencies was the root cause for delay and/or cancellation of many important and vital projects in the past. I would like to put my points in support of the "approved" project. The project is of utmost national interest, so no delays should be allowed and the change will seriously damage the aesthetic view of our national pride, the Sangsad Bhaban.

For most of the past decade, Greece has run up budget deficits well beyond limits set by the European Union, a group of 27 nations that allow goods and workers to cross their borders freely. When Greece fell into recession two years ago, bondholders worried they wouldn't get their money back. To make sure they do, the EU is lending money to Greece, essentially allowing it to use new debt to pay off old debt. Greece looks like a bad bet. Its publicly held debt is more than 140 percent of its annual economic output, or gross domestic product. The US debt is 67 percent.

A scenario is emerging derived by the west that might prevent an Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic train wreck at the United Nations this week but analysts and officials say it will require near perfect timing and diplomacy to pull it off.

Libya's interim rulers said yesterday they had further consolidated their control over Sahara desert towns that had been among Muammar Gaddafi's last strongholds, and said Gaddafi himself was running out of places to hide.

Six people were killed and at least 50 injured when three car bombs exploded in the capital of the Muslim Dagestan region in Russia's North Caucasus, an Interior Ministry source and Islamist rebels said yesterday.

Arts & Entertainment

The dearth of accomplished artistes has created a void in the acting arena -- with most newcomers seeking a shortcut to fame and stardom. In this rat race, some names transcend above others, such as Dolly Zohur, whose reputation is cemented in the hearts of audience and critics alike. The Daily Star (TDS) recently had a chat with the talented actress on a gamut of subjects.

Around 107 sculptors are busy making idols for Durga Puja in Jhenidah. One of them says that along with his assistant he will make 10-12 idols that will be placed at various puja mandap of the district and neighbouring districts.

Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Iran recently organised the nine-day long 18th International Festival of Visual Arts for Young Artists. The festival began on September 9 in Gorgan, Iran. Most of the works displayed at the exhibition were paintings, sculptures and installations. About 200 artists from 21 countries took part in the festival.

OP-ED

In 2005, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority came up with a nudge-nudge, wink-wink slogan. "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," suggested that people could have all the fun they liked on vacation trips to that city and nobody was going to find out. A saucy Aussie named Julian Assange turned that game on its head. What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas, metaphorically speaking. This one-man cabal of truthsayers took the fun out of U.S. embassy cables and leaked them out to the world.

The murder of former Afghan leader Burhanuddin Rabbani is a major blow to President Hamid Karzai's control of the peace process as well as to the Tajik community, a pillar of Afghanistan's ethnic scaffolding behind the dominant Pashtuns.

A former Indian petroleum minister, Moni Shankar Aiyar, on a visit to Dhaka had said, wat is in India's interest, more than Bangladesh's that New Delhi needed Dhaka's friendship. This may not be an exact reproduction of his words, but that is the essence of what he wanted to convey.

Gowher Rizvi, the prime minister's international affairs adviser, in an interview with the Daily Star, waxed eloquent over what he described as unprecedented gains by Bangladesh during the recent visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in resolving the outstanding disputes with India. Apparently, his appraisal is contrary to the groundswell of criticism, anger, shock and dismay about the failed outcome of the summit, expressed across a wide spectrum of public opinion.

A magnitude-6.8 earthquake was felt across the country on September 18 evening, shaking buildings in the capital and elsewhere. Panic gripped common people. The US Geological Survey said on its website the quake was centered 64 km (40 miles) northwest of Gangtok, capital of northeastern state Sikkim and below 20 km of the surface.

With Qantas earlier in the week announcing it would be trialing Wi-Fi connected iPads on aircraft for its in-flight entertainment service, it seemed as if the death knell was being sounded for seat-back screens. Seems like the actual people who build the planes have different ideas though.

Angry Birds will migrate from cellphone screens to the Formula One racetrack this weekend in Singapore, as the firm behind the mobile gaming sensation rolls out a crowd game to be played by live audiences.

Augere Wireless Broadband Bangladesh, a leading WiMax service provider and the parent company of Qubee, recently signed a network expansion frame contract with Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, to further expand its Qubee branded wireless broadband service in Bangladesh, says a press release.

Nikon unveiled its first mirrorless cameras on Wednesday, beating its arch rival Canon to the nascent market for small, interchangeable-lens cameras, where other manufacturers have met with mixed success.